Salt Lake City

Alonzo wrote Oct. 18, “This morning we looked for a house and found a room in the old fort, about 12 ft. square, a doby house and we moved in.”

Great Salt Lake City Fort, 1848

From Bancroft's History of Utah 1540-1889, Pg. 277

“In March of 1848 the Great Salt Lake City fort contained 423 houses and 1, 671 souls. In the spring of 1849 most of the people who had wintered in the fort moved out onto their city lots, or into the adjoining country.” From The Historical Record, Dec. 1887, Vol. VI, pg. 304.

Alonzo on Oct. 19, “I am going to work at joiner work tomorrow. $1.50 a day and board. I am going to make some 4 panel doors. I never made one but I will try. I am master mechanic until it is proved to the contrary. Blistered my hands finely.”

On his first day in town Alonzo heard about a large company of 200 planning to start on the southern route to Pueblo (current Los Angeles) in about four weeks. On Oct. 23^rd, “I handed in my name to Mr. Pomeroy to be an ox driver in case there was a vacancy.”

The day before Alonzo left on the second leg of his journey to reach the gold fields he noted in his diary, “Yesterday a very strong invitation to take dinner from and with Mr. Capt. Augustus Farn[h]am at his house. I did except (sic), and a good dinner too. I leave some warm friends in the valley, if it is of short acquaint.” Farnham was a Captain on the Mormon wagon train Alonzo and his company traveled with.

On my last morning in Salt Lake City I set out early to get some photos of a few of the most well known buildings around Temple Square.

(Click on photos to view a larger image)

Family History Library

Historic Gardens Marker

Museum of Church Art and History

Log Cabin and Museum

Pioneer Log Home Marker

Pioneer Log Home

Morning Meeting in Temple Square

Assembly Hall, built 1882

Tabernacle, home of the Tabernacle Choir

Salt Lake Temple

Begun in 1853 - Dedicated in 1893

Since I do not want to cross the Mojave Desert during the summer months, I’m leaving the trail here in Salt Lake City and heading northwest to Portland OR after following the first segment of Alonzo’s journey. My plan is to pick up the second segment, Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, in November, the same month he began. Of course the gold fields weren’t near Los Angeles, where he arrived mid-February; from there he sailed to San Francisco, outfitted himself, and completed the final leg of his journey to the gold fields.